Haddonfield packed five runners within 20 seconds and placed 2nd, Cherokee packed its five scorers in 31 seconds and placed 3rd and Cherry Hill East made it three South Jersey teams in the top-5 for the first time in 10 years Saturday morning at the 52nd annual Meet of Champions.
Junior Benjamin Andrus, senior Bennett Wright, Junior Peter Simpson, junior Luke Andresen and junior Ryan Gibson all ran between 16:11 and 16:31, and Haddonfield averaged 16:21 over the historic 5K course at Holmdel County Park
Cherokee placed five runners in the top 40 to take 3rd and Cherry Hill East averaged under 17 minutes to place 5th.
Haddonfield scored 83 points in 2nd place, Cherokee scored 103 in 3rd and Cherry Hill East scored 135 in 5th. Ocean City made it four South Jersey schools in the top 10 with a 9th-place finish.
Haddonfield has placed in the top 10 an incredible 23 times since 1980 and in the top 10 an astounding 14 times.
Their 83 points is the lowest score at a Meet of Champions by a South Jersey school since Mainland Regional won with 68 points in 2003 and Haddonfield’s lowest score ever at a MoC – lower even than when they won the race in 2001.
Haddonfield’s finish is the best by a South Jersey school since the Bulldogs placed 2nd in 2018. Haddonfield has now placed in the top 5 seven consecutive years – or eight if you include the unofficial 2020 MoC.
Their 16:21.79 average is a virtually tie for 3rd-fastest ever at Holmdel by a South Jersey school. Haddonfield averaged a hand-timed 16:21 last weekend at the state Group 2 meet, where FAT timing wasn’t used.
Here is a look at Haddonfield’s astounding 23 top-10 finishes:
2024 – 2nd , 83 points
2023 – 7th, 200 points
2022 – 6th, 183 points
2021 – 3rd, 134 points
2020 – 4th, 121 points
2019 – 3rd, 129 points
2018 – 2nd, 86 points
2017 – 6th, 178 points
2015 – 4th, 145 points
2014 – 5th, 186 points
2013 – 7th, 237 points
2010 – 2nd, 98 points
2009 – 4th, 128 points
2008 – 4th, 139 points
2007 – 3rd, 159 points
2006 – 3rd, 162 points
2001 – 1st, 87 points
2000 – 10th, 255 points
1996 – 10th, 279 points
1990 – 9th, 244 points
1989 – 5th, 189 points
1986 – 8th, 240 points
1980 – 8th, 206 points
Andrus led Haddonfield in 16th place in 16:11.39, Wright was 18th in 16:12.07, Simpson 22nd in 16:23.48, Andresen 26th in 16:30.08 and Gibson 28th in 16:31.95.
Aaron Keith and Case Hurly also ran for Haddonfield, Keith crossing in 17:18.68 and Hurly in 17:50.77.
Cherokee, which averaged 16:34 when it won the state Group 4 meet last weekend, lowered its average to 16:30.45, their 2nd-lowest ever behind a 16:28.4 at the 2022 Meet of Champions.
This was Cherokee’s 7th consecutive top-10 finish and 20th overall. The Chiefs have placed in the top 5 10 times. The 3rd-place finish equals their best since they placed 2nd in 2000, and their 103 points is their lowest total since that 2000 team scored 69.
Freshman Jack Tindall, who missed a significant amount of training camp the last couple weeks, led Cherokee in 13th place in 16:10.18. Sophomore Benjamin Realley placed 23rd in 16:25.14, junior Logan Bromley ran 16:35.81 for 31st, senior Liam Tindall was 38th in 16:39.96 and senior Enzo Corona placed 40th in 16:41.15. Sophomore Sean Sooy was also under 17 minutes in 16:54.47 and senior Benjamin Weiner ran 17:02. Note the official results show Corona in 31st and Bromley in 40th, but their finishes were flip-flopped.
Three of the top freshmen and sophomores in the entire race were from Cherokee.
Cherry Hill East’s 5th-place finish is their best since the 2014 team placed 3rd. East has also placed in the top 10 in 2013 [9th], 2019 [8th] and 2021 [8th].
Senior Brody Bogos had a very strong race for Cherry Hill East, placing 11th in 16:06.62, a Holmdel PR and 3rd-fastest ever by a Cherry Hill East runner. Seniro Brandon Lyons ran 16:29.43 for 24th, juniors Alvin Lin and Will Nelson came across virtually together in 42nd and 44th in 16:42.55 and 16:42.94 and junior Milo Poerner was 84th in 17:05.99 for a 16:51.83 team average. Senior Nikhil Raman ran 17:18.22 and sophomore Cian Sherlock ran 17:50.01 for East.
And Ocean City had three runners under 17 minutes – junior Erik Preisner [35th in 16:38.50], senior Ethan Buck [55th in 16:49.99] and sophomore Keenan Neuman [64th in 16:55.06]. They were backed up by sophomore Nathan Aschmann [81st in 17:04.24] and senior Zach Hutchinson [107th in 17:20.38]. Sophomore Michael Romano [18:05] and freshman Nevin Millstein [18:19] also raced for Ocean City, which averaged 16:57.83.
This is the 5th time three South Jersey schools placed in the top five at a Meet of Champions:
2014: Cherry Hill East [3rd], Kingsway [4th], Haddonfield [5th]
2001: Haddonfield [1st], Cherokee [4th], Mainland Regional [5th]
1999: Paul VI [2nd], Cherokee [3rd], Washington Township [4th]
1998: Cherokee [2nd], Washington Township [3rd], Shawnee [4th]
1989: Paul VI [1st], Highland [2nd], Haddonfield [5th]
1988: Paul VI [1st], Highland [3rd], Bridgeton [5th]
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 